St Albans District Council invite you to their Business Summit on Thursday 13 February.

Gain insight into Hertfordshire's economy and growth plans, learn about the benefits of operating in the District for emerging industries and growing businesses, and discover the support available to local companies.

There will also be the opportunity for delegates to raise questions with our panel including Hertfordshire Futures, Location Collective and OMA Film Studio Group, Hertfordshire Growth Hub, and St Albans Enterprise Agency (Stanta).

This event is kindly sponsored by Mercer & Hole.

A Local Plan for the sustainable growth of St Albans District has been submitted to the Government for examination. The Local Plan identifies land for housing, employment developments and green spaces for the years to 2041.

The Plan allows for:

• The building of 15,000 new homes in the District by 2041 in accordance with current national planning policy requirements. This includes 1,200 social rent properties, mainly three-bedroom homes, increasing the area’s social housing stock by around 25%.
• A potential £750 million of infrastructure to support the proposed new residential areas. This includes nine new primary schools, four new secondary schools, improvements to public transport, locations for 15,000 jobs, and new green spaces and health facilities.

Hertfordshire County Council have trialled changes to George Street, Market Place and High Street aiming to create an area that is more accessible, freeing up outdoor space for events and dining.

The local community is invited to share their views on the changes to George Street through the survey below until 16 December. Help HCC decide whether to keep the current one-way arrangement with a traffic-free space at weekends or to restore two-way traffic seven days a week.

Join Hertfordshire County Council’s free and accredited healthy workplace programme today for a healthier, happier and more dynamic workplace.  

93% of businesses who joined the programme in the last year said they were satisfied, reporting improvements in wellbeing, diet, physical activity, smoking, work social and physical environment and workplace culture.

With 1 in 6 workers experiencing a mental health issue in the past week, is it time to check in with your employees’ health and wellbeing?

Sign up onto a free webinar (Thursday 12 December 12 :30 – 13:00 or Wednesday 18 December 12:00 – 12:30) to learn more by emailing workplace.health@hertfordshire.gov.uk.

The University of Hertfordshire helps SMEs boost business performance, growth, and resilience with its successful Help to Grow: Management Course.

The next cohort commences on 7January 2025. The executive leadership and management course is designed and delivered by industry experts and experienced entrepreneurs to help you take your business to the next level in just 12 weeks.

The course offers the perfect blend of online and face-to-face learning at the University of Hertfordshire and is designed to be taken around your existing work commitments. The course is 90% government funded with a one-off £750 payment.

You’ll benefit from in-depth training from a team of SME experts, one-to-one support from a business mentor to help you apply your learning, support to develop a tailor-made growth action plan for your business, and access to a supportive peer network to share practical challenges, ideas, and experiences.

Step2Skills are working with businesses across the county to help improve the skills of your employees for free.

Online and in-person workshops for January to March 2025 have been announced, covering topics including digital skills, Excel, and time management and customer service skills.

The Herts Big Weekend is back on 5 and 6 April 2025, run by Visit Herts, the Destination Management Organisation for Hertfordshire.

The Big Weekend campaign provides an opportunity to connect local tourism businesses with Hertfordshire residents. It provides a way to reward and encourage residents to visit or rediscover what's on their doorstep by offering the possibility for local residents to win tickets to explore attractions that they might not have otherwise visited.

The Big Weekend offers:

• A cost-effective way for raising awareness with key resident audience
• A dedicated listing on the Big Weekend website and complimentary display posters
• Gain additional exposure through the campaign marketing and PR
• Receive valuable opt-in data for all those who bid for your tickets, allowing you to build a relationship with an engaged audience

Attractions and businesses are invited to offer complimentary tickets exclusively to Hertfordshire residents to use on the Big Weekend only.

For further information, see the Big Weekend toolkit and FAQ document. 

Please sign up and add your attraction details and ticket offers to the website no later than 21 February 2025. The public ballot will be open from 28 February until 23 March.

A recent survey indicated that over 87 per cent of Hertfordshire residents want food outlets to include healthier options.

In response to this, Hertfordshire County Council has launched the Herts Responsible Food Award (HRFA), a new accreditation scheme that helps local food businesses make small, easy changes to run their business in a healthier and more sustainable way, without compromising quality or profit margins.

Award-holders unlock exclusive benefits, including discounts from local wholesale food suppliers, access to free courses, and business support from Hertfordshire Growth Hub.